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Copyright 

By 

JOHN HORACE 


Ik 


1817 
. LYTLE 


SEP 26 i9i7 


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SEP 26 1917 

©C1.A473673 

I 


Dedication 


This little hook is affectionately 
dedicated to 
MY BOY 

in the hope that when he reads it 
his appreciation of and love for man* s 
truest friend, the DOG, may he 
enhanced, and that he may have a 
correct and true realization of what 
a dog*s faith and friendship can and 
should, and usually does, mean. 

J. H. L. 


(<■ 







Introductory 


I DO not intend — ^nor feel that I need — to offer 
any apologies for the manner of telling the 
story in this little book. Yet I realize that 
some may pronounce its treatment brutal. It 
is my belief, however, that the climax justifies 
the means. To have treated the subject more 
delicately throughout would have left an un- 
questionably and unavoidably weaker climax. 
Furthermore, there is too much dodging of 
harsh facts by the dainty of mind. Why not 
boldly face issues that exist? It is better so. 
Without, therefore, any apology — or even any 
further explanation — on the matter of my worldly 
treatment of the subject, I leave it to the story 
itself (in its entirety) to justify me — or to fail. 

THE AUTHOR. 





Coon* s Corners 


The Story of Jack 


ITTLE Joe Shepard dodged into 
the big, dimly lighted entrance 
of “Doc” Sullivan’s livery sta- 
ble and burst into the stuffy 
office, stuffier still with tobacco 
smoke, dog- talk and the “regulars” that 
congregated there nightly. 

“Hey!” he cried, “d’you know who’s 
cornin’?” 

“Who?” 

“Perry Crooks!”, exclaimed Joe. 

“He is!— When?” 

“Well, who’s this ’ere Perry Crooks?” 
drawled Jim Scanlon. 

9 



The Story of Jack 


“Who’s Perry Crooks!^’ “Y’ don’t 
know who Perry Crooks is!” Joe was 
justly astonished at Jim’s question. 

“I reckon y’ve hit ’er right, Joe — er I 
wouldn’t have asked.” 

“Jim’s only been here ’n Coon’s Cor- 
ners goin’ on four year, Joe — an’ ’t must 
be all o’ nigh on to six since Perry left. 
Still I do allow it seems as if he ought to 
’ave heard tell o’ Perry many a time in 
them four year. Perry, Jim, was the 
best dog fighter we ever had ’n these parts. 
An’ his dogs likewise was the best. 
Mighty seldom Perry ever lost a fight. 
He could pick the cornin’ winner out of 
a litter o’ pups most ev’ry time. An’ 
Perry knew how to handle ’em too.” It 
was “Doc” Sullivan who spoke. 

“ ’Member the time, Lem,” continued 
“Doc,” turning to Lem Zengle, “when 
Perry licked them three Mosiertown guys 
all b’his self when he caught ’em rubbin’ 
red pepper wash on their dog ’tween 
scratches?” 

“Sure do remember. Doc, and alus 


10 



11 


The Story of Jack 


will. Perry was some scrapper his self. 
His dogs didn’t have nothin’ on him 
when it come to fightin’. Never seen 
’im whipped; an’ I bet he ain’t been up 
there’n Alaske, neither. Fight! — why, 
gol durn it, Perry wasn’t 'fraid o’ nothin’ 
t’ ever walked.” 

“This ’ere Perry mus’ be some manf' 
drawled Jim Scanlon again. 

“An’ that he was!” spoke up an en- 
thusiastic member of the crowd. 

The reader by this time will have 
formed somewhat his own conclusions of 
Coon’s Corners and at least that portion 
of its inhabitants who have so far entered 
into our story. But to make doubly sure 
that the impression given is correct, let 
me explain that Coon’s Corners is a 
little town of about eight hundred people 
which may not be found on the map, in 
a still rather undeveloped section of Ohio. 
The chief interests in the town were the 
bottling works and dog fighting — the 
latter probably predominating. This 
same crowd of “regulars” could he found 


12 


The Story of Jack 


assembled almost any evening at “Doc” 
Sullivan’s stable, where most of the dog 
fights were staged when the second floor 
of the bottling works was not available. 

And, in these surroundings. Perry 
Crooks had been the greatest dog fighter 
of them all. In the fine art of picking 
and training and handling pit bull ter- 
riers he always had been their master. 
In a locality where the number of fighting 
dogs almost equaled the voting popula- 
tion — those handled by Perry had seldom 
lost. And his friends had not forgotten 
it. 

“How soon’ll Perry be gettin’ here, 
Joe?” inquired Frank Walters. “Le’s 
see, today’s the first o’ September.” 

“Letter says he’ll land in here two 
weeks from t’day,” answered Joe. 

“Well”, resumed Frank, “It’s still 
kinda warm yet to start the fall fes- 
tiv’ties, but if Perry’s cornin’ home, 
reckon ther’s nothin’ else to do. Ther’ll 
be purty near two week yet, an’ it may 
turn a cool spell so’s the dogs could stand 


13 



A Crowd of Regulars 


it right well. Wouldn’t do not to welcome 
Perry home in regular style. Boys, le’s 
pull off a real bout fer ol’ time’s sake.” 

“Sure mike! Bet y’re life!” the others 
agreed. 

And so the next day there was arranged 
such a dog fight as would be a suitable 
celebration for Perry’s home coming. 
What was considered the best living 
Coon’s Corners dog was matched against 
the best that Beavertown, six miles dis- 
tant, could furnish. The stake was fifty 
dollars a side. Details were closed in 
Beavertown after it was pointed out that 
the short notice for training would be 
equally fair to both animals, and that a 
cool spell was predicted within the next 
few days. 

So all was in readiness for Perry’s 


14 


The Story of Jack 


arrival. It was to be fittingly celebrated 
in the way that Coon’s Corners knew he 
would most enjoy. The fight was to take 
place at “Doc” Sullivan’s. All Coon’s 
Corners was alive with excitement — which 
was not lessened by the rivalry of long 
standing between the two towns. Beaver- 
town, as a rule, had 
been getting a little 
the better end of it 
since Perry had been 
away, which intensi- 
fied the present in- 
terest. 



Perry licked them three Mosiertown guys all b' his self 


15 



Perry arrived home true to schedule 


And then the day came, and Perry 
arrived home true to schedule. It had 
been agreed that the fight should be kept 
as a complete surprise, so he learned 
nothing during the day of the great treat 
which was coming in the evening. 

About seven o’clock that night, Joe 
Shepard called for Perry and asked him 
if he wouldn’t like to stroll around to 
“Doc’s” and see some of the gang he had 
not met during the day. 

“Sure,” was the answer; and they were 
off. Everything was in readiness when 
the guest of honor arrived. Just a few 
preliminaries remained and the “go” 
would be in full swing. The dogs had 
not yet been brought in; but the referee 
was standing in the pit and ready to flip 


16 


The Story of Jack 


the coin to decide which dog should make 
the first ‘‘scratch.” 

Then the strange thing happened. 
Perry stepped to the edge of the pit and 
faced the friends he had left six years 
before. 

“Boys,” he asked, “what’s the purse 


y’re fightin’ fer?” 
“Fifty dollars.” 



The Referee 


“But we’ll raise ’er to a hundred if yuh 
want to make it more. Perry,” called one 
of the followers of the Beavertown dog. 
But Perry was already speaking again: 


17 


The Story of Jack 

“Ain’t it most too early yet to start the 
game, boys? We never useta pit the 
dogs ’fore ’long late’n October; an’ mos’ 
gener’ly not ’fore early November. It’s 
mighty bad to send ’em the real route 
while it’s still a bit warm.” 

“Them’s true words. Perry,” broke in 
“Doc” Sullivan, “but this ’ere little bout 
bein’ ’ranged to sorta show yuh the boys 
ain’t fergot ol’ times — ^y’see we couldn’t 
jest pick the weather. But she’s turned 
purty cool these few days — mos’ equal to 
November. An’ we’ve been shapin’ them 
dogs up hard fer two weeks, so’s they’re 
mos’ fit as fiddles. What’s the dope, 
Perry? Ha’n’t we better let Rooney’s 
dog git started masticatin’ this ’ere 
spec’min from over’n Beavertown?” 

“Boys,” Perry continued, “I’d like 
leave to take jest er few minutes ’fore 
this here fricus an’ tell yuh all ’bout a dog 
fight I seen up’n Alaska. ’Twas a good 
one an’ she’s worth bearin’. Er yuh 
fellas agreed I may tell it? G’on an’ 
gi’me a risin’ vote — an’ all o’ yuh rise — 


18 



WhaCs the 'purse “yer fightin fer ? 


19 



The Story of Jack 


’fore either o’ them terriers makes the 
first ‘scratch’ t’night.” 

“Sure, but le’s have the fight first, 
Perry.” And this suggestion seemed to 
find general approval. 

“No — I don’t think I’ll want to tell it 
later on.” 

Joe Shepard got to his feet. 

“Bein’ as this here’s Perry’s fight any- 
how — a sorta home cornin’ welcome from 
us all — kinda seems to me like grantin’ 
the wish o’ the bes’ ol’ fightin’ dog man 
w’ever had round these parts is purty 
much’n order, an’ we can’t do mor’n leave 
Perry have the floor right now like he 
asks for. The dogs ain’t been bro’t in 
yet nohow. So what’s the harm.^ I say 
le’s ev’ry man agree.” 

“Well, this is onusu’l doin’s,” growled 
big Joe Black of Beavertown. “I ain’t 
got all night t’ listen to no stories. I 
come over to see a dog fight — not hear 
’bout none. I’ve got money on’t, an’ 
I’m agoin’ to see’er start now. Git ’em 
goin’. Red. Toss up fer first scratch.” 


20 


The Story of Jack 


Thus encouraged, Beavertown arose al- 
most to a man to support Joe Black’s 
demands. Such a crowd as this, raised 
on fights of one sort or another, is never 
to be trusted or tampered with. 

But Perry stood his ground — and 
thundered at the crowd: ‘T ask’d yuh to 
hear me. Now y’ve got to — d’ye hear 
that! Yuh all know me, ev’ry one o’ yuh. 
No monkey bis’ness goes. The first man 
to butt in ’ll have to take the cons’ quen- 
ces. They act first, an’ don’t do their 
thinkin’ till aft’wards up’n the gold 
country. D’yuh get me.f^” 

They evidently “got” him. It was the 
same old Perry — but with multiplied 
determination. Even Joe Black kept his 
seat. 

And Perry began his story, still stand- 
ing at the edge of the pit: 

‘‘Yuh’ll all rec’llect that ’fore pullin’ 
stakes fer Alaska I sold all my pit stock. 
But y’may not mind ’bout that crazy 
lookin’, shagly haired pup ’at was sent me 
fer a present jest shortly ’fore I left these 


21 


The Story of Jack 


parts. Still, some o’ yuh may remember 
him at that. ’Member what an on’ry 
lookin’ little runt he was.^ Most of us 
wondered what he was — tho they’d said 
he was an Airedale. I couldn’t make out 
what he was ever goin’ to be good fer. 
But I’d kinda took a fancy fer the little 
cuss, ’at I was ’shamed to admit even to 
yuh fellas. An’ this pup was the only 
dog I took away from here with me when 
I got the gold fever. 

“Don’t know why I didn’t sell him — er 



That crazy loohin\ shagly haired pup *at was sent 
me fer a present 


22 


The Story of Jack 


give him away, if any one would ’ave 
took him. Don’t know why, no mor’n I 
know why I ever took him in the begin- 
nin’ when he was give to me. Reckon the 
reason I took ’im North was on account 
of him havin’ shagly hair, an’ I thought 
he’d ’mount to somethin’, mebbe fer to 
help pullin’ sledges, er some way er other 
up’n the Klondike country. Well, any- 
how, I took him. I’d heard the price o’ 
dogs was high up there. Mebbe I could 
use him somehow, I figgered. 

“Well, one way Jack was diff’rent from 
mos’ dogs was in his eatin’. Thing he 
liked best was batter cakes an’ syrup — 
but they mus’ have the syrup, er he 
wouldn’t touch ’em. An’ they mus’ be 
served him on a plate! — er he wouldn’t 
touch ’em neither. Contrariest dog y’ever 
seen, in some ways. An’ I’ll be doggoned 
if I didn’t humor him ! Sure ’nough he was 
the tender’st raised dog I ever seen in all 
my born days. An’ he just wouldn’t 
leave me a minute — alus under my feet, 
er somethin’. Made the biggest fuss 


23 


The Story of Jack 


over me y’ever seen. An’ along he went 
with me to Alaska.” 

“ ’Magine Perry feedin’ a dog batter 
cakes!” exclaimed Frank Walters. 

“Yes, ’twas jest like I’m tellin’ yuh,” 
answered Perry. And then he continued : 
“The way we went was by boat from 


Things he liked best was batter 
cakes and syrup 


The Story of Jack 


Seattle, an’ on up to Dyea an’ Skagway. 
We wintered in Skagway, waitin’ fer the 
weather to open up so’s we could get on 
to Nome. Built our boats on Lake Ben- 
nett an’ waited fer the ice to go out, 
’fore we could get down to Dawson, an’ 
from there down the river an’ out to St. 
Michael an’ over to Nome. 

‘‘In that winter Jack growed up. Got 
pretty big, too. But not so big as them 
huskies an’ malamutes. He never seemed 
to want trouble, tho — so’s I figgered he 
didn’t have any too much sand. But he 
was a cocky little cuss at that, an’ his 
little ol’ tail was alus stuck up straight 
over his back — an’ I never seen him curl 
it in. His legs gob ’specially strong — an’ 
his front ones was straight as a rifle 
barrel. 

“Well,one day in Skagway a cur jumped 
him,” continued Perry, “an’ at first the 
cur was gettin’ kinda the best of it. But 
purty soon Jack begun to put up some 
exhibition. Kept cornin’ stronger all the 
time. He sure did s’prise me. All’t 


25 


The Story of Jack 


once, jest when the Alaska dog was 
strainin’ to get a throat hold, Jack kinda 
reached up an’ closed down over his 
whole jaw. Then he closed his eyes an’ 
sure did rip ’er up some!” 

“H’rrah fer Jack,” shouted Joe Shep- 
ard. The crowd by this time was begin- 
ning to show many signs of quite general 
interest. They had almost forgotten, for 
the time being, the real event of the even- 
ing. 

“The cur shook an’ shook, but Jack 
hung on an’ liked to shake the day 
lights outa him. It sure was some tough 
hold he had. The cur couldn’t even 
holler. But he certainly did thrash ’round 
consider’ble. ’Twas Jack’s first fight — 
but what they’d been tellin’ me ’bout 
Airedales was showin’ up in him. Still, 
never havin’ had no experience ’ceptin’ 
with real pit dogs, I couldn’t believe he’d 
stick dead game.” 

Even the Beavertown men were begin- 
ning to really enthuse over the story by 
this time. 


26 



I broke Jack's hold 


“Then some guy come ’long an’ ’lowed 
I better take my dog off. I give him the 
laugh, till he started to draw a gun — then 
I tol’ him I’d part ’em. Didn’t want to 
take no chances on Jack’s gettin’ hurt — 
an’ the cur was already cowed bad ’nough 
anyhow to last him fer quite a spell. So 
I hollered to the fellow to hold on a 
minute — an’ I broke Jack’s hold. An’ 
’twas a sight harder to break than I’d of 
figgered ’t would be.” 

27 


The Story of Jack 


‘‘Who’d ever tho’t it o’ that pup!” ex- 
claimed Roy Caton. 

“Well, after that ’twas common talk 
’round Skagway ’bout that fight. Every 
day er so some guy with a huskie er mala- 
mute’d come ’round an’ offer to bet most 
any kind o’ money his dog could lick 
mine. All o’ which made me powerful 
sorry that I hadn’t took ol’ Butch ’long 
with me — but I wouldn’t let Jack have 
no reg’lar go with them big North dogs. 
They’re rough fighters, them fellas, an’ 
I wouldn’t consider none o’ them chances 
to pit my pet — fer that’s jest what he 
was”. 

“Let ’em bluff you. Perry!” cried Lem 
Zengle. 

“Low jest waif'l answered Perry. “In 
the Spring I pulled stakes for Nome — an’ 
that’s when Jack come in useful. I 
bought five malamutes to pull the sledge 
up int’ the gold country — an’ used Jack 
in with ’em as the wheel dog, direc’ly in 
front of the sledge. Only place I’d ’ave 
dared put him, or them five critters ’d 


28 



The Story of Jack 


’ave ate him alive. But tacked on be- 
hind ’em at the tail end o’ the team it 
worked fine, an’ he more’n pulled his 
share. Well, as I’ve said, he was strong 
in the legs — an’ he’d do anythin’ fer me. 
Liked to pull hisself to pieces tryin’ to 
please me. But it did ’im good. ’Stead 
of gettin’ weak — he got stronger. If he’d 
only been bigger, I b’lieve he’d ’ave 
licked any two o’ them malamutes t’gether 
— but as ’twas it give me the devil’s own 
time to keep ’em off him. Couldn’t leave 
him ’lone fer a minute — never. An’ at 
night had to keep them other five rascals 
tied up tight. But ’fore we got to Nome, 
I wouldn’t ’ave give Jack fer the ten best 
sledge dogs in all the North.” 

“Trus’ you. Perry, to make a dog good 
fer somethin’,” called someone in the 
crowd. The already keen interest of the 
listeners was even increasing. 

“One day, while we was still in Nome, 
there come up from Skagway one Jim 
Tillman — an’with him he brung the story 
o’ that fight of Jack’s in Skagway. An’ 


30 


The Story of Jack 


then all Nome begun coaxin’ fer a dog 
fight. There was even more challenges 
than what I’d got at Skagway.” 

‘‘Why didn’t y’send back home, Perry, 
fer some live stock as could bring them 
guys down a peg er two! Why didn’t 
y’send fer Butch. What did y’do. Perry 
Didn’t leave ’em git the laugh on yuh up 
there, did yuh?” The man who spoke 
voiced a sentiment that was unanimous, 
as was evidenced only too keenly by the 
crowd. 

“No!” cried Perry — “boys, I took ’em 
up on one o’ them challenges — an’ took 
on the best fightin’ dog in Nome. Just 
figgered I’d do her right while I was at it. 
But cut out buttin’ in, yuh guys, an’ 
leave me hurry up an git done tellin’ 
this. I ain’t’n the habit o’ talkin’ so 
much. 

“The fight was to be fer five hundred 
dollars — money’s big up’n that country. 
Jack was to fight one o’ the meanest 
malamutes y’ever seen. Not a growed 
up man er woman there but had some 


31 


One of the meanest malmutes y* ever seen 


kind of bet placed. An’ that’s all they 
talked ’bout in Nome every time there 
was a crowd together. Course the odds 
favored the malamute ’bout five to one. 
I had my five hundred even — out o’ con- 
sid’ration fer Jack. Was willin’ to lose 
that much on him. Fact is, boys, after 
that fricus at Skagway, I was kinda 
cur’ous myself to see what he’d do’n a 
pinch. He sure was an onusu’l dog — had 
me beat tryin’ to figger ’im out, in lots 
o’ ways. But I’d made up my mind 
that’d be the last fight I’d ever pit him, 
no matter what way it come out. Knew 
he’d have to stand a lot o’ gaff even if 
he won — an’ I didn’t count on ’im much 
to win. For one thing, he was too much 
lighter. 


The Story of Jack 


‘‘Boys, that was the greatest battle 
y’ever seen. The trip up from Skagway 
an’ down the river’d made Jack strong ’s 
an ox in the legs. An’ in spite o’ givin’ 
’way so much weight, that great dog o’ 
mine was winnin’. D’you hear me — I 
tell yuh he was winnin’! He was every 
bit as quick’s the malamute — an’ a heap 
sight cleverer. Seemed to figger ahead 
from one hold t’ the next. An’ his teeth 
ripped an’ tore full equal t’ the mala- 
mute’s — an’ that’s a North dog’s long 
suit, which they get from bein’ purty 
near wolves, I reckon. 

“One ear hold Jack got like to ruined 
t’other dog — mos’ tore it clean off com- 
plete. Jack kep’ all four legs squared 
solid under ’im, an’ spread wide apart — 
an’ every little bit he’d yank down with 
a new hold that’d d’light the best o’ yuh. 
Yes, he sure was makin’ some fight — one 
I’d ’ave gone a good many miles to see. 
I wouldn’t ’ave b’lieved any dog could do 
it, givin’ ’way all the weight he did.” 

Perry’s own excitement in the telling 


33 


The Story of Jack 


showed how he was himself completely 
absorbed by the relating of the details of 
that stirring event. 

“Thing that s’prised me most of all, 
boys, was the way Jack fought — jest like 
them huskies an’ malamutes all fight, 
cuttin’ a dog all to pieces, tearin’, rippin’ 
an’ slashin’, to kill. So ’twas a battle 
where the style o’ fightin’ of both dogs 
was purty nigh the same — only Jack was 
jest a bit quicker’n even the malamute 
was. But the malamute had a big ad- 
vantage in the weight. 

“Ain’t none o’ yuh guys ever seen such 
a fight as that!” shouted Perry. “The 
pit dogs ’round here grab a holt — an’ 
jes’ hang on. They may do a lot o’ 
damage — an’ then again sometimes they 
don’t. Depends on where the holt is. 
But that ain’t the way with Airedales, er 
them Alaska brutes. They grab one 
holt quick, an’ jes’ natur’lly rip a dog 
open’n a secon’. Then they grab a new 
holt and rip him again. Purty quick 
they’ll have him tore all to pieces — ain’t 


34 


The Story of Jack 


nothin’ left of him. Airedales’ll yank 
a dog open, an’ clean finish him — while a 
pit bull might be sleepin’ on some un- 
dangerous holt somewheres. Yuh all 
might doubt them words — I did till I 
seen with m’own eyes. But I tell yuh 
that dog Jack o’ mine could finish both 
them critters yuh got here tonight, in 
the same pit, in ’bout twenty minutes.” 

^^Yes he couldl Don’t come none o’ 
that on us. Perry.” The crowd disap- 
proved. 

“Well he could, now — an’ I don’t care 
a rap if yuh b’lieve me er not. But 
speakin’ ’bout this here fight up at 
Nome — ’scuse me fer gettin’ kinda off’n 
the subject. I was sayin’ ’twas ’bout 
an even draw, with Jack really winnin’ 
jes’ a little. An’ I’ve tol’ yuh ’bout Jack 
havin’ some points on the malamute, an’ 
the malamute havin’ the best o’ Jack on 
weight. 

“Well, ’fore I hardly re’lized it, that 
weight mighty near beat Jack. I kinda 
noticed him beginnin’ to tire first, from 
havin’ to stack up ’gainst s’much weight. 


35 



Then fer the first time he took his eyes 
off’n the malamute — fer jest a second — to 
look fer me. He wasn’t scared — not a 
mite. Reckon he jes’ wanted to see where 
I was. But it come purty close to bein’ 
his finish. 

“The malamute was powerful quick 
an’ clever too — most equal to Jack. 
Best scrapper I ever seen, ’ceptin Jack. 
An’ jes’ the second Jack took that peek 
fer me — the malamute grabbed ’im by 
the shoulder an’ laid ’im open horrible — 
an’ switching’ quick to a new holt — well, 
’twas purty near the end o’ my Jack, 
tha’s all. 

“Jack took such a turrible knifin’ ’at 
I don’t like to be even tellin’ yuh ’bout 
it now. Funny thing to me was, though, 


36 



that he didn’t seem to be tryin’ to pr’tect 
hisself, er strainin’ to git loose. First I 
tho’ he’d quit cold. But he didn’t holler 
none. Boys, he was jes’ restin’ — an’ out- 
wittin’ ’tother dog. Fightin’ was com- 
min’ t’im natur’l, out of his ancestors, I 
reckon. Wasn’t no use wastin’ his strength 
while there wasn’t no chance. But what 
got me was, I couldn’t see as he was even 
lookin’ fer no chance, an’ he was gettin’ 
a dangerous lashin’ . He fooled me though ; 
an’ he fooled the malamute, too!” 


37 


The Story of Jack 


“That critter figgered like I did ’at 
Jack was ’bout done — an’ he got kinda 
over anxious to finish ’im, an’ he laid 
hisself open, an’ Jack got him — then! 
Got his juglar, too! 

“My Airedale had won! An’ the fight 
was over. Boys, my dog won me five 
hundred dollars — ^yuh understand! The 
malamute was as dead a dog as yuh’ll 
ever see. Jack had worked fast on the 
juglar — jest like all them dogs do up 
North. Faster’n pit bulls ever work. 
Airedales is like them northern wolf dogs 
in lots o’ ways — ’sceptin’ Airedales airCt 
never treacherous, like they are.” 

“H’rrah fer Jack!” The crowd shouted 
and cheered to the echo. Their uncon- 
trollable enthusiasm broke forth from 
every fibre of their rough beings. Hats 
were thrown wildly into the air, feet were 
stamped, they pounded one another on 
the back. The old hero of Coon’s Cor- 
ners had made good in Alaska — had 
shown them a thing or two about fighting 
dogs — as his friends had known all along 


38 


The Story of Jack 


he would do. But Perry was not through 
with his story — and they finally become 
quiet again and listened for the rest, as 
he went on. 

“I went over to Jack, lyin’ there’n the 
pit. He wasn’t quite able to hardly stan’ 
up yet, he was so awful cut up an’ all in. 
But after workin’ over ’im a bit, I seen 
he’d come out of it. The sledgin’ work 
had made ’im tough an’ hard to kill. I 
worked over ’im quite a bit ’fore I got 
’im in shape to start home. But we 
finally did git started — me goin’ slow, an’ 
Jack jes’ kinda wobblin’ ’long behind. 

“ ’Twas purty dark when we left the 
pit, an’ we was jest kinda pickin’ our way 
down the street slower’n a funeral. 
Purty soon ’long come a big huskie, an’ 
I seen he kinda had his eye set for Jack. 
Beats all how them North dogs’ll alus 
pick on a dog that’s down, er badly cut 
up. 

“When this huskie come closer, I seen 
fer sure what he’s up to, an’ I hollers: 
‘Git out o’ here,’ an’ kicks out at ’im. 


39 



He jumped at me straight fer the throat 


40 


The Story of Jack 


Quicker’n a wink he jumped at me — 
straight fer the throat. I dodged ’im 
jes’ bar’ly in time. When he wheeled 
an’ come back at me, he’d plumb fergot 
Jack. An’ that’s right when Jack nailed 
him — an’ con’ected. ’Fore I could do a 
thing Jack had liked to chewed one o’ 
the huskie’s legs off, an’ here I was now 
with another fight on!” 

Perry’s listeners 
were breathless— Coon’s 
Corners and Beaver- 
town alike. Every ear 
was strained to miss 



I emptied every cartridge in the automatic 


41 


The Story of Jack 


not a word — and no word was uttered 
by the crowd. 

“I knowed Jack couldn’t last long — 
weak as he was. But I couldn’t shoot 
fer fear o’ hittin’ him ’stead o’ the huskie. 
The fight didn’t last long, though, ’fore 
somethin’ happened — Jack bein’ too weak 
already to stand the pace. The huskie, 
bein’ strong an’ fresh, soon throwed ’im 



42 



The Story of Jack 


over an’ reached fer the juglar — an’ got 
there. Right then, quicker’n a wink, I 
emptied every ca’tridge in the automatic! 

“All four pieces o’ the lead found the 
huskie. But them dogs works faster’n 
lightin’ wjien they finds the vein — an’ he 
must ’ave finished Jack jest ’bout the 
time I begun shootin’.” 

There was not a sound in the room as 
Perry went on with the story. 

“I picked Jack up kn’ carried ’im 
home. He’d given his life fer mine when 
that huskie jumped me. Never even 
stopped to consider nothin’ — an’ he was 
so weak then he could hardly stand. An^ 
all from a fight Vd put him in, 

“Jack’s lyin’ up back of Nome now, 
boys, in a reg’lar grave with a reg’lar 
headstone better’h any other in all that 
country — even over humans. An’ from 
that day to now I ain’t never willf’lly 
fought a dog o’ mine — an’ never will 
again. Wouldn’t own no dog as couldn’t 
fight — but none o’ mine’ll ever have to 


43 


The Story of Jack 

fight again jest fer money. I’ve seen 
’nough o’ pit dog fights to last me. 

“An’ now, boys, I’m done. I do 
’preciate y’re home cornin’ welcome — an’ 
I’m sorry if I’ve spoilt the sport — but if 
Coon’s Corners ’ll give up this little fight 
now in favor o’ Beavertown, why I’ll 
pay the fifty dollars — an’ here it is!” 
But Perry smiled, as he added: “I guess 
it’d be the first of my money Beaver- 
town ever got.” 



44 






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